A change of restaurant operators at the five star Niramaya Villas and Spa in Port Douglas will see Southeast Asian inspired Rasa Restaurant and Lounge start turning heads from 9 November.

‘Rasa’ in Indonesian translates back to taste, sense, feeling and flavor.

The restaurant will be operated by three partners – Andrew Saville, Jared Jones and Louise St George – collaborating together with extensive experience in all areas of hospitality, from the kitchen and customer service to function and event management.

The team says their vision is to provide a refined dining experience inspired by flavours of Thailand, Bali, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, China and Japan.

“The concept of Asian fusion food has been at the top of the culinary scene the past few years and continues to be a leading concept throughout major capital cities,” Andrew says.

“Restaurants with similar concepts to ours can be found in Southeast Asian countries such as Bali or in Australia’s trendy food hubs in Melbourne or Sydney.

“This Port-Douglas-first will provide locals with flavours they will love, and provide the region with a new culinary experience that will appeal to a different demographic of tourists.